House of Lords: Select Committee on the Constitution

Lord Norton of Louth: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What consideration has been given to the recommendation of the Select Committee on the Constitution (12th Report, 2003–04, HL150) that the two Houses establish a Joint Committee on regulation.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The establishment of a Joint Committee is not a matter for this House alone. The first step is for the Liaison Committee to consider whether it agrees with the proposal in principle. If the Liaison Committee does wish to establish a Joint Committee, negotiations with the Commons would then proceed.
	Since the publication of the report, I have been in correspondence on this matter with the chairman of the Select Committee on the Constitution. As I have already notified him, he will be invited to attend the Liaison Committee to support the proposal when it next meets, which is expected to be shortly before the Summer Recess.

G8: 2005 Summit

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What priority they will give to generating support for an International Arms Trade Treaty with the aim of alleviating suffering in Africa and other conflict-stricken parts of the world, during the forthcoming G8 heads of state meeting.

Lord Triesman: One of the Government's main priorities for the G8 2005 summit attended by heads of state and government are to agree a comprehensive plan to address the complex problems within Africa. To be successful, this must include measures that will help build peace and create security across the continent. The Government believe that a legally binding international treaty covering the trade in conventional weapons would be an important step in tackling the problems caused by irresponsible proliferation of arms. We will raise this issue in discussions with our G8 partners including at the meeting of G8 Foreign Ministers taking place on 23 June.

European Court of Human Rights: Mr Ocalan

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have considered the recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Mr Abdullah Ocalan; whether they will make representations to the government of Turkey; and whether they will inform Parliament of any response obtained.

Lord Triesman: In accordance with Article 53 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the contracting states undertake to abide by the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The European Commission's 2004 regular report on Turkey's progress towards accession notes that Turkey has made increased efforts since 2002 to comply with the decisions of the ECtHR. Following the ECtHR ruling that the trial of Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan had not been fair, the Turkish Government confirmed that in this case too, Turkey would comply with the ECtHR judgment, and would reopen the case file to see whether the ECHR violations could have affected the verdict. The Turkish Foreign Minister indicated that any re-examination of the case would be conducted in a manner acceptable to the Committee of Ministers, whose role it is to oversee the implementation of court judgments, and who will consider the case in July. We will continue to follow developments.

National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been their response to the advice from the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre that agencies involved in the critical national infrastructure should stop using Microsoft Internet Explorer because of its security weaknesses.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: NISCC has not so advised.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7 June (WA 50), how many students on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme failed to return to their country of origin for each of the years 2000 to 2004.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Information is only available for 2004 in relation to SAWS students who left their employment before they were expected to or about whom employers had doubts as to whether they would leave the UK. Of a total of 22,901 SAWS work cards issued, 154 students fell into this category.

Armed Forces: Internees

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mr Alan Ingram, on 26 May 2004 (Official Report, Commons, 1696W), how many prisoners were (a) held by the United Kingdom forces; (b) brought into United Kingdom custody; and (c) transferred to United States custody, each week from 1 December 2003 to 28 June 2004

Lord Drayson: Prior to December 2003, all persons taken into custody by United Kingdom forces were held by the US at Camp Bucca, in southern Iraq. During December those internees were transferred to the UK's divisional temporary detention facility (DTDF) at Shaibah logistics base in southern Iraq, and the figures given from January onwards refer to internees held at that location. However, during December, internees taken into custody by the UK may have spent a short period in Camp Bucca prior to transfer to the DTDF on or around 18 December 2003. From the end of December 2003 to 28 June 2004, no internees were transferred to US custody.
	
		
			 Date Internees Held InterneesTaken IntoCustody by UK 
			 As at 1 Dec 2003 109 (in US Custody) - 
			 Week ending 8 Dec 2003 111 (in US Custody) 14 
			 Week ending 15 Dec 2003 110 (in US Custody) 14 
			 Week ending 22 Dec 2003 112 2 
			 Week ending 27 Dec 2003 140 41 
			 Week ending 5 Jan 2004 135 11 
			 Week ending 12 Jan 2004 126 1 
			 Week ending 19 Jan 2004 124 2 
			 Week ending 26 Jan 2004 109 5 
			 Week ending 2 Feb 2004 106 15 
			 Week ending 9 Feb 2004 105 1 
			 Week ending 16 Feb 2004 103 5 
			 Week ending 23 Feb 2004 108 9 
			 Week ending 1 Mar 2004 95 4 
			 Week ending 8 Mar 2004 93 0 
			 Week ending 15 Mar 2004 84 4 
			 Week ending 22 Mar 2004 81 3 
			 Week ending 29 Mar 2004 79 2 
			 Week ending 5 Apr 2004 82 5 
			 Week ending 13 Apr 2004 102 22 
			 Week ending 19 Apr 2004 101 0 
			 Week ending 25 Apr 2004 98 7 
			 Week ending 2 May 2004 118 27 
			 Week ending 9 May 2004 117 3 
			 Week ending 16 May 2004 135 23 
			 Week ending 23 May 2004 125 8 
			 Week ending 30 May 2004 107 5 
			 Week ending 7 June 2004 79 0 
			 Week ending 14 June 2004 68 14 
			 Week ending 20 June 2004 73 10 
			 Week ending 28 June 2004 55 1 
		
	
	These figures are based on the best available data; it is evident that some theatre records contain inaccuracies.

Armed Forces: US Defense Bill

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they foresee adverse consequences for United Kingdom-based defence companies in the Defense Bill now before the United States Congress; and what steps they are taking to encourage a balanced view on these issues on the part of Members of Congress.

Lord Drayson: It is vital that the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom and United States operate effectively together. This can only happen if UK and US defence industries can continue to work closely together.
	We are concerned at any proposals for protectionist provisions that would damage this important relationship. As we have done previously we will continue to work with the US Administration to counter protectionism and welcome the recent statement from the White House. We will continue to make the Government's views known to Members of Congress.

Gulf War 1990–91

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many inquests remain to be heard in relation to members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who lost their lives as a result of the 1990–91 Gulf War and military duties in Iraq since 2003; and what are the reasons for the delays.

Lord Drayson: No inquests remain to be heard resulting from the 1990–91 Gulf War. We understand that 77 remain outstanding since 2003. All investigations into deaths abroad take time to resolve; deaths in operational situations take proportionally longer. Delays have also arisen from pressure on the Oxfordshire coroner, since all bodies are repatriated to RAF Brize Norton.
	The Government have assured him that the funds he has requested will be made available and this should not cause further delay.

Department for Constitutional Affairs: Making a Difference

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many copies were printed of the Department for Constitutional Affairs manifesto entitled Making a Difference: Taking Forward our Priorities; at what cost; and for whom this publication was intended.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My department printed 41,000 copies of Making a Difference: Taking Forward Our Priorities at a cost of £10,668. These were distributed to key stakeholders such as the judiciary, other government departments, tribunals, magistrates, MPs and Lords, the legal profession, DCA agencies and DCA staff.
	The balance remaining (about 8,000) will be distributed with recruitment and induction packs and at future stakeholder events.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many appeals under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been referred to the Information Commissioner; how many of these appeals have been determined; and how many have been referred to the Information Tribunal.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: At 16 June the figures were as follows: there have been 977 appeals to the Information Commissioner; 202 of these cases have been determined; and two cases have been referred to the Information Tribunal.

Information Commissioner

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What target the Information Commissioner has set for the length of time that appeals should take; and to what extent this target is being met.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Information Commissioner's target is to resolve 50 per cent of complaints within 60 working days of receipt. Of the 202 cases that had been determined on 16 June 97 per cent were dealt with within 60 working days.

Information Commissioner

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Office of the Information Commissioner is properly staffed and resourced.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Information Commissioner is an independent body created by statute. The commissioner reports directly to Parliament. He decides on the remuneration and conditions of service of his staff subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs. The commissioner's grant-in-aid is approved by Parliament as part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs' departmental expenditure limit. In addition from April 2005 the commissioner has retained the receipts from data protection notifications for the purposes of funding his responsibilities under the Data Protection Act. There is regular communication between the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Information Commissioner and his staff about these matters.

Specialist School Status

Lord Skidelsky: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many applications for specialist school status have been (a) received, and (b) rejected in each application round since 1994; and what are the names and addresses of these schools and the specialism for which they applied.

Lord Adonis: The department does not hold all of this information in the form requested. However, the following details will be placed in the House: (a) a full list and details of existing designated specialist schools; (b) a list and details of those schools which have applied to the programme since October 2002 but have not yet been admitted.

Child Trust Fund

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the take-up of child trust fund vouchers to date is satisfactory; and
	What assumptions they have made about the number of child trust fund vouchers they expect to have been used to open child trust fund accounts by 30 June 2005, 30 September 2005, 31 December 2005 and 31 March 2006 stating in each case the proportion that such figures represent of the total potential child trust fund accounts.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Government are encouraged that parents have seized the initiative on savings and it is tremendous that nearly one-third of vouchers have already been used.
	The number of accounts being opened by parents is being closely monitored; any assumptions which could be made about future parental behaviour at this stage are necessarily highly speculative.

Schools: Value-added League Tables

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their reaction to the recent paper Questioning The Value-Added League Tables: The Politicians' Error Revisited by Professor Stephen Gorard of the University of York.

Lord Adonis: Professor Gorard did share his paper with us before its publication. Though the statistics from the small group of LEAs used in the paper differ slightly from the national picture, we do accept that factors other than just prior attainment affect pupil outcomes (though prior attainment remains by far the most important factor).
	This is why we have developed a contextual value-added methodology which takes into account those other factors which are outside a school's control, for example, levels of deprivation and gender. The prototype model is currently available for use by schools in their self-evaluation via the department's pupil achievement tracker. A further refined model will be used this year in an achievement and attainment tables pilot which, if successful, will see a contextualised 11-16 value-added measure published for all secondary schools in the 2006 tables.

Department of Trade and Industry: Change of Name

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What costs were incurred following the name change to the Department for Trade and Industry; and how these costs are broken down.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: In order to put into effect the renaming of the department, the following actions were undertaken: replacement nameplates for the department's London buildings were commissioned; a small number of publications and event literature were amended; websites were changed and departmental guidelines and stationery templates were adjusted and distributed. The total cost of these actions was £14,500.
	The total cost involved in the name reverting to the Department of Trade and Industry was £15,400.

Energy Policy

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether their review of energy policy includes local combined heat and power plants, capable of burning wood and waste timber; and how they assess the merits of such plants in meeting fossil-fuel obligations and reducing transmission losses and emissions

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government regularly review their energy policy and our progress in meeting the four key goals set out in the 2003 Energy White Paper. The Government are currently reviewing the Climate Change Programme and the renewables obligation. The role of combined heat and power (CHP) is being considered as part of both reviews.
	CHP plants that burn wood are eligible for support from both the renewables obligation and the climate change levy, reflecting the environmental benefits of this kind of technology.
	The Government are undertaking a study on the scope for promoting heat from renewable sources and heat from CHP. In December 2004, DTI and Defra commissioned Future Energy Solutions from AEA Technology to estimate the costs of the various technologies used in this market and potential carbon savings. The Government hope to publish the study in due course.

Electricity Generation: Waste Energy

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much waste heat, expressed in kilowatt hours, was vented to the atmosphere in England from electricity generating plants during 2004; and
	How much waste heat, expressed in kilowatt hours, was vented to the atmosphere in Wales from electricity generating plants during 2004; and
	How much waste heat, expressed in kilowatt hours, was vented to the atmosphere in Scotland from electricity generating plants during 2004; and
	How much waste heat, expressed in kilowatt hours, was vented to the atmosphere in Northern Ireland from electricity generating plants during 2004.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Data are not available in the form requested.
	For the UK as a whole, in 2003 electricity generators' fuel inputs (coal, oil, gas, etc.) totalled 86.66 million tonnes of oil equivalent, which is equal to 1031.1 TWh (where 1 TWh = 1 billion kWh). For the same period, total generation (UK electricity production less pumped storage) was 398.8 TWh. From this it may be inferred that the 632.3 TWh difference between energy inputs and outputs was dissipated in the form of waste heat or was used in the generating process, although it is not possible to estimate the relative magnitudes of either factor with accuracy.

NHS Professionals

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are their plans for the future of NHS Professionals; and over what timescale such plans will take effect.

Lord Warner: The Government plan that the NHS Professionals Special Health Authority will become self-financing and take on a new status by 2007–08, in line with the recommendations in the Department of Health's review of its arms-length bodies published last year.

Simvastatin

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Following the decision by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in 2004 to allow simvastatin to be sold over the counter in pharmacies, what action they will take in the light of the agency's admission that they misrepresented the results of their consultation on the issue by wrongly claiming a two-thirds majority of respondents in favour of the change; and
	Whether they will commission a review of the decision by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency that the sale of simvastatin in pharmacies without medical supervision poses no unacceptable risk to patient safety.

Lord Warner: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has corrected the summary document on its website which reported on the outcome of consultation on the proposal to allow simvastatin 10mg to be sold over the counter. An error occurred which led to the outcome being presented in the summary as two-thirds supporting the switch.
	The corrected summary makes clear that about one-third of the responses were supportive, one-third opposed and one-third were not opposed but raised issues. This was the position put to the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), which also had access to the full responses when giving its advice. The consultation raised no new issues not already considered by the CSM when its advice to make the medicine available over the counter was formulated. The error in the summary placed on the website following the announcement of the decision to allow simvastatin 10mg to be sold in pharmacies had no bearing on the robustness of the deliberations of the CSM.
	The MHRA has reviewed the outcome of the simvastatin consultation, the handling of the particular exercise and of the internal procedures in place for such consultations. A correction has been made in respect of the website information on simvastatin and all the responses have been made available or summarised electronically on the website. To ensure complete transparency, the MHRA will publish on its website a full list of the responses received to all future reclassification consultations, together with links to the full text of those responses, except where a particular respondent withholds consent. The agency will also avoid summaries in terms of numbers of responses, reflecting the fact that the main purpose of consultation is to identify any new issues of substance not already considered to be addressed.

NHS: Renal Services

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What support is available to encourage primary care trusts to establish consortia for the commissioning of renal services; and
	Following the publication of the national framework, what role strategic health authorities have in ensuring that crisis management of renal services is replaced by responsible forward planning.

Lord Warner: Primary care trusts are expected to commission specialised services, such as renal services, on a collective basis. Strategic health authorities (SHAs) support and monitor these collective commissioning arrangements. SHAs are responsible for working with local National Health Service organisations to develop plans for the provision of all health services in their local areas.

Food Supplements

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they will take in relation to the comment made by the Prime Minister on 26 May at the Institute of Public Policy Research that the Food Supplements Directive is "wholly out of proportion"; and
	Whether they are satisfied that the Food Standards Agency has developed and is implementing, prior to the final ruling of the European Court of Justice in relation to food supplements, an effective strategy to meet the United Kingdom's objectives for legislation in this sector; and
	When they last spoke to the European Commissioner dealing with the Food Supplements Directive about their objectives for legislation in this area; and whether they will have any further such discussions prior to the final ruling on the issue expected from the European Court of Justice in July; and
	Whether the preservation of consumer choice remains one of their objectives in the regulation of food supplements.

Lord Warner: The Government are exploring a range of options in relation to the Food Supplements Directive to ensure that legislation is proportionate and commensurate with not misleading consumers while not putting their safety at risk.
	The Food Standards Agency, as part of its strategy, has developed a range of options in anticipation of the outcome of the ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Implementation of this strategy must await the final outcome of the ruling on 12 July 2005, and until this time the directive remains in place.
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Public Health spoke to Commissioner Byrne on 24 March 2004 regarding the Food Supplements Directive. When we have the ruling from the ECJ, the Government will consider whether further discussions with the European Commissioner are required.
	Preservation of consumer choice remains one of several objectives in the regulation of food supplements. Other objectives include consumer safety and the promotion of free trade.

Combined Heat and Power Schemes

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many combined heat and power schemes currently exist in England.

Lord Bach: At the end of 2003 there were 1,305 good quality CHP schemes in England registered with the UK's CHP quality assurance programme. Figures for 2004 will appear in DTI's energy trends bulletin, which is due to be published in September this year.

Combined Heat and Power Schemes

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many combined heat and power schemes currently exist in Wales.

Lord Bach: At the end of 2003 there were 88 good quality CHP schemes in Wales registered with the UK's CHP quality assurance programme. Figures for 2004 will appear in DTI's energy trends bulletin, which is due to be published in September this year.

Combined Heat and Power Schemes

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many individual dwelling units are currently equipped to receive waste heat or heat from combined heat and power plants in England.

Lord Bach: According to our records there are around 100 good quality CHP schemes in England that supply heat to residential dwellings. The majority are community heating schemes supplying tower blocks, or universities which supply halls of residence. We do not hold any information on the number of individual dwelling units that are equipped to receive waste heat or heat from CHP plants in England.

Combined Heat and Power Schemes

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many individual dwelling units are currently equipped to receive waste heat or heat from combined heat and power plants in Wales.

Lord Bach: According to our records, there are two good quality CHP schemes in Wales, both universities, that provide heat to halls of residence on their grounds. We do not hold information on the number of individual dwelling units that receive waste heat or heat from CHP schemes in Wales.

Salmon Fishing

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have supported the North Atlantic Salmon Fund's (NASF) buy-out scheme of licences permitting drift netting of salmon in United Kingdom waters; what financial assistance the Government have given the NASF; and what is the likely benefit to tourism in the United Kingdom over the next 10 years.

Lord Bach: The Government have supported a buy-out scheme in respect of salmon drift-net licences off the north-east coast of England, by contributing £1.25 million towards a scheme organised by the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (UK).
	The Government recognise the benefit of salmon fishing to tourism, but no specific figures are available on the benefit to tourism as a direct result of the buy-out of drift-nets.

Salmon Fishing

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With what countries and what voluntary bodies they are co-operating to achieve the buy out scheme of salmon drift-netting licences; and how that scheme has progressed.

Lord Bach: The Government have no immediate plans for further buy-out schemes of salmon drift-net licences. The Government would not, in any case, think it proper to use public money in respect of schemes targeting drift-net licences issued by the governments of other countries or agents acting on their behalf.

Salmon Fishing

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the level of cross-border discussion between the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic in relation to drift netting for salmon; whether the Irish Republic has indicated any willingness to co-operate; and what has been the reported weight of salmon caught by drift-netting in British and in Irish waters for each of the past five years.

Lord Bach: It has long been the Government's position that the Irish coastal salmon drift-net fishery should be phased out. We regularly press the Irish Government to take all practical measures to reduce the fishery's impact on English and Welsh salmon stocks.
	The Irish Government have not yet shown any indication that they will implement a buy out of this fishery.
	The weight of salmon caught by drift-netting in British waters in the past five years is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Coastal Wt (t) Estuarine Wt (t) Riverine Wt(t) Total 
			 2000 156.6 25.4 36.9 218.9 
			 2001 128.6 24.2 31.3 184.1 
			 2002 107.9 24.4 28.7 161.0 
			 2003 42.0 26.6 20.3 88.9 
			 2004* 39.1 19.6 49.6 108.3 
		
	
	* Provisional
	Notes:
	Coastal catches includes nets and putcher ranks.
	Riverine includes rod catches, basket trap and coops.
	Estuarine includes all other nets and fixed engines not mentioned above.
	Source:
	CEFAS and the EA Annual Assessment of Salmon Stocks & Fisheries in England and Wales 2004
	
		Northern Ireland
		
			 Year Weight (Kgs) 
			 2000 8,389.5 
			 2001 9,173.62 
			 2002 3,765.4 
			 2003 2,879.15 
			 2004 2,009.9 
		
	
	Information on salmon caught in the Republic of Ireland waters is not held centrally.
	There are no figures for Scotland as drift-net fishing is illegal Scottish waters.

Bovine Tuberculosis

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in their consultations on the proposals to require pre-movement testing of cattle for bovine tuberculosis, the possibility was raised that an animal might be either in the early stages of infection before antibodies develop or at a later stage when its immune system is unable to respond to the test; and, if so, what conclusion was reached.

Lord Bach: The limitations of the tuberculin skin test are recognised in the report of the Independent Pre-movement Testing Stakeholder Group, which was published on Defra's website on 1 June. The document is available at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/pdf/pre–movementtest.pdf.
	The Government are now considering the recommendations of the group along with colleagues from Scotland and Wales before going to public consultation later this year.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the current estimated cost to completion of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link phase 2; how this compares with the estimate at the time it was authorised to proceed; and what are the reasons for any difference between these figures.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The information requested is commercially sensitive. However, I understand from London and Continental Railways (LCR) that they expect the final cost of the second and final section of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link to exceed the target cost. They attribute most of the increase to inflationary pressures, particularly within the rail industry, having exceeded the rate of 3.0 per cent per annum which they expected in 2001 at the outset of the project to build section 2.

A303

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to complete the duelling of the A303 in Wiltshire and Dorset; what discussions have they had on this project and with whom; and what are the most recent plans for the Stonehenge improvements on that road.

Lord Davies of Oldham: A scheme to dual the A303 running past Stonehenge in the form of a 2.1 kilometre tunnel is in the targeted programme of trunk road improvements and was subject to a public inquiry in 2004. We are currently considering the inspector's report and will make an announcement in due course.
	In our response to the London to south-west and south Wales multi-modal study in December 2002, we asked the Highways Agency to work up in more detail schemes to widen the other single carriageway sections of the A303 in Wiltshire and Dorset. A decision on the entry of these schemes into the targeted programme of improvements will be taken once we have received the south-west region's advice on its priorities for the funding of transport improvements in the south-west.
	As with any major scheme, the Highways Agency has held discussions with regional partners, statutory environmental bodies, local authorities and other key stakeholders and individuals affected by these schemes as they have been progressed through preparatory stages.

Lord Birt

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Lord Birt, the Prime Minister's strategy adviser, has met an employee or representative of McKinsey and Company Incorporated in his office at No. 10 Downing Street.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Lord Birt has meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals in his role as the Prime Minister's unpaid adviser.

Lord Birt

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Lord Birt, the Prime Minister's strategy adviser, has met a client of McKinsey and Company Incorporated in his office at No. 10 Downing Street.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government do not keep records on which companies are clients of McKinsey.

Lord Birt

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 7 April (WA 153), whether the Lord Birt was required to go through Nolan procedures or an open interview before his appointment to the Civil Service Reform Programme Board.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Lord Birt was invited to join the Civil Service Reform Programme Board by the secretary of the Cabinet and head of the Home Civil Service.
	The Civil Service Reform Programme Board is not within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Lord Birt

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Lord Birt, the Prime Minister's strategy adviser, has the use of a government residence or has stayed at any government residence since his appointment; if so, for each case, what was the reason for the stay; and what was its duration.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: No.

McKinsey and Co.

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many contracts currently exist between No. 10 Downing Street and McKinsey and Company Incorporated; and, in each case, what is the purpose of the contract and its financial value.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: None.

Equality Bill

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is their intention that the Equality Bill should create a new duty for national governing bodies of sport to promote equality of opportunity between men and women

Baroness Crawley: Provisions are included in Part 3 of the Equality Bill which will require public authorities, (those bodies that provide functions of a public nature), to comply with the gender duty, of which a fundamental element will be the promotion of equality of opportunity for women, men, girls and boys to ensure that their needs are met.
	The Government intend to hold a public consultation exercise on what specific duties or requirements will be imposed on public authorities to comply with the gender duty later this summer.